5.29. One of the posts of Assistant Superintendent of Crown Lands & Survey was upgraded to that of Principal Assistant Superintendent.
5.30. The new senior posts were filled during the course of the year by promotion of serving officers and senior recruitment included Estate Surveyors on contract; these together with promotion of a Land Bailiff who qualified professionally in the previous year, left 3 vacancies unfilled at the end of the year. 3 Land Surveyors and 1 Planning Officer were recruited on contract and an Assistant Planning Officer promoted. At the end of the year, one vacancy still existed for a Land Surveyor and 3 vacancies for Planning Officers.
5.31. During the year, 7 officers, each with more than 25 years' service, retired. Among these was Mr. LEUNG Yee-shing, Head Survey Labourer, with over 40 years' service.
Training
5.32. In-service Surveying Assistants (Engineering, Estate, Land and Planning) are mostly young men with the appropriate academic qualifications, often recruited immediately after leaving school. Joining the service initially at Class III level, they all attend a six-month comprehensive course in Land Survey and thereafter the Engineering and Land streams are attached to various functional Survey Sections for field and practical experience for a further 12 months, whilst the Estate and Planning streams are similarly attached for a further 6 months before starting with their respective divisions.
5.33. Cartographic Assistants are recruited and trained in a similar manner except that there is no six months' comprehensive course after recruitment. They are grouped and instructed whilst performing normal duty.
5.34. All Surveying Assistants Class III and Cartographic Assistants Class III are required to sit departmental examinations to obtain promotion to a higher class, and during the year 34 out of 72 passed.
5.35. Professional: A limited number of Surveying Assistants (Estate) who have the necessary academic qualifications to become Student Members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors are recruited at Class II level and encouraged to take correspondence courses and attend evening classes at the Hong Kong Technical College and Hong Kong University.
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